1. 1.2 Trillion Won in Loans Issued This Year Out of 3 Trillion Won Total
Annual Growth Rate Reaches 79%
2. 6 Out of 10 Customers Have Mid-to-Low Credit Scores
3. "Enhancing Loan Offerings and Convenience Services to Expand Non-Face-to-Face Financial Benefits for Small Business Owners"
As of mid-September, K Bank announced on September 23 that the cumulative amount of loans extended to individual business owners has surpassed 3 trillion won.
K Bank launched the "Boss Guarantee Loan (guarantee)" in May 2022, followed by the "Boss Credit Loan (credit)" in September of the same year, and the "Boss Real Estate Secured Loan (collateral)" in July 2024. With these offerings, K Bank is the only internet bank to provide products covering all areas-credit, guarantee, and collateral.
Breaking down the loan amounts by product: the "Boss Credit Loan" accounted for 2.19 trillion won, the "Boss Guarantee Loan" for 390 billion won, and the "Boss Real Estate Secured Loan" for 420 billion won. The "Boss Real Estate Secured Loan" exceeded 400 billion won in just 14 months since its launch.
Notably, K Bank supplied 1.2 trillion won in new loans to individual business owners this year alone, demonstrating rapid growth. The compound annual growth rate of loan issuance between 2023 and 2025 reached 79%.
Low interest rates and fast, convenient loan procedures have driven this rapid expansion. According to the Korea Federation of Banks' consumer portal, as of August this year, the average interest rates by product were 4.24% per annum for guarantee loans and 5.08% per annum for credit loans, both relatively low. The real estate secured loan carried an annual rate of 3.53%, the lowest among banks.
K Bank's loans for individual business owners are processed entirely online. Even for the "Boss Real Estate Secured Loan," which takes the longest, 9 out of 10 customers complete the process within 10 days of application, demonstrating exceptional speed.
K Bank's analysis of its individual business loan customers showed that those with mid-to-low credit scores accounted for 58%, or roughly 6 out of every 10 borrowers. With the expansion of K Bank's lending, the financial barriers for small business owners struggling to secure funds have been significantly lowered.
Beyond loans, K Bank also offers a range of exclusive services for individual business owners, including the "Boss Account," "Comprehensive Income Tax Refund," "AI Tax Consultation," and "Customized Policy Fund Recommendations."
The "Boss Account" is designed for individual business owners, offering free transfers, withdrawals, and issuance of various certificates to support convenient transactions.
The "Comprehensive Income Tax Refund" service uses AI to identify missed tax deductions or credits and assists with refund claims (correction requests). Approximately 300,000 customers have used this service.
The "AI Tax Consultation" is a generative AI service that helps individual business owners resolve concerns related to tax, legal, and labor issues through consultations. Within just six months of launch, the service has attracted more than 140,000 subscribers.
The "Customized Policy Fund Recommendations" service suggests optimal policy funds for individual business owners based on simple information such as business type, industry, and region.
K Bank plans to continuously strengthen its competitiveness in individual business loans. Within this year, it aims to enhance the real estate secured loan for business owners by supporting refinancing with mutual financial institution products and expanding collateral eligibility from apartments to commercial properties.
A K Bank representative stated, "Our products and services for individual business owners are providing real help to small business customers facing difficulties," adding, "We will continue to lead the way in expanding financial benefits for small businesses through product and service innovation."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.


